Aspen

Jill Sheeley is a children’s author and has been living in the Roaring Fork Valley for many years. She is the author of the series, “Adventures of Fraser the Yellow Dog”. Now, one of her books has found itself on the best-seller list at Explore Booksellers in Aspen. More than a decade after its release.

Lisa Max Zimet and Kim Nuzzo are the co-founders of the Aspen Poets' Society. Celebrating its 9th year anniversary this month, the organization was formed after Zimet, who was doing marketing for the former Zele Cafe in Aspen, had the idea of bringing live poetry readings to the cafe after a series of successful evening events with music.

Zimet and Nuzzo share the history of the organization and the power of poetry. The Aspen Poets' Society hosts live poetry readings every month at Victoria's Cafe in Aspen. To learn more about the organization and their events, visit www.AspenPoetSociety.com or (970) 379-2136.

When John Thew took over as the executive director of AspenFilm last year, he still was waiting for full control as veterans George Eldred and Laura Thielen transitioned out and helped him through FilmFest.

Now, after putting the festival together himself for the first time, Thew says the opening night of the festival was a great experience for him.

“We thought maybe 50 people would show up for the reception because it was at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and we had over 200 people show up.”

In order to improve forest health and habitat for wildlife, a coalition of outdoor organizations is planning a prescribed fire in Hunter Creek. It's a popular recreation area near Aspen.

Barring bad weather and safety concerns, the burn will be done in spring of 2016. It’ll happen on Forest Service land on north side of the Hunter Creek Valley, near the “lower plunge trail” and “hummingbird traverse.” The historic buildings on the valley floor won’t be in the burn area.

Tactics to safeguard mountain resort communities against wildfire are improving but educating residents is still a hurdle. Wildfire officials gathered in Snowmass Village Friday (9/25) to go over new approaches to keeping high country homes from burning down. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen reports.

Mountain communities like Snowmass Village have unique problems when it comes to wildfire — many homes are smack-dab in the middle of high risk fire zones. Even though a big fire hasn’t burned here for nearly a decade, Snowmass Fire Marshall John Mele says fire is probable.

The number of students taking courses at Colorado Mountain College is up. The biggest jump in enrollment is in Rifle.

The Rifle campus saw double-digit growth compared to last year’s enrollment. Campus officials point to more courses, a new downtown location and an increased number of high school students taking courses.

For years the Forest Service has been working to keep mine tailings from an abandoned silver mine from getting into Castle Creek. The long-defunct Hope Mine is tucked between the creek and Castle Creek Road. Work to return the area back to its natural state is now nearly complete. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen reports.

Now that the leaves are changing, weather officials are releasing forecasts for the upcoming winter. The jury’s out on whether the strong El Nino pattern that’s expected will bring heavy snow or dry conditions. Marci Krivonen spoke with two forecasters about their predictions. First, Joel Gratz of Open Snow. It's a weather service for skiers and riders.

Gino Hollander passed away last weekend at the age of 91. Gino was a renowned painter who spent 20 years of his long life living in Aspen. His daughter, Siri, now runs a gallery of his work along with some of her own in Santa Fe. Siri's two brothers are photographers and her mother is a writer.

An Aspen man has decided to change his plea regarding federal weapons charges. Mauro Emilio Pennini had pleaded not guilty to two charges, after getting caught with a loaded gun, ammunition and several knives in his locker at Aspen's post office. Now his Grand Junction attorney has alerted the court that Pennini would like to plea differently.

Molissa Fenley is a dancer decades into her career. She has been written about in the New York Times and the New Yorker. This week, she comes to the Launchpad in Carbondale for a residency at the Dance Initiative.

The situation is dismal in Colorado for mentally ill people who need to be hospitalized. As reported this week, a new analysis from the Colorado Department of Human Services shows the state has a significant shortage of hospital beds for this group. In Aspen, some end up in the jail and are taken to the nearest hospital - in Grand Junction - when a bed opens. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen has more.